Thanks to everyone for the comments. The good news is that there is lots to love in Harlem and perhaps no where is the best where and that’s fantastic for everyone!. We are looking into the “Gold Coast” reference – we certainly don’t intend to offend.

Moved in to Harlem about 2 years ago from 72 & Central Park West. My wife and I were attracted to West Harlem’s outstanding architecture and proximity to the parks.

The improvement in terms of restaurant and retail spots is real. FDR is at the heart of it all–naming it Harlem’s Gold Coast is entirely appropriate. For the skeptics at heart, I encourage to take a short walk from Central Park and 110th Street to 125th. From the new FDR Circle to the W Hotel on 123rd & FDR you will be pleasantly surprised. Pay a visit to the Apollo Theater to get a sense of this neighborhood’s rich cultural tradition and history.

For the folks looking to buy home, it’d move relatively fast–real estate bargains in West Harlem won’t stay here beyond 2011. The neighborhood currently offers the best value and investment opportunity in the city; the word is getting out again post an uneasy 2009 in which everyone was entirely focused on the financial crisis.

I agree 100% with your assessment of the area and its value. It is certainly worth highlighting.

But I would strongly suggest finding another formulation for branding it — one that does not evoke the European colonization of West Africa. There is perhaps a degree of symmetry that should not be called to mind.